The subject matter herein relates generally to electromagnetic interference (EMI) containment for a connector assembly.
Some known connector assemblies include a metal cage having one or more ports that each receive a corresponding transceiver module, such as a small form factor pluggable (SFP) module, therein. The pluggable module may plug into a communication connector that is held within the cage and is connected to a host circuit board. A front end of the cage that includes the port for the pluggable modules is typically held within an opening in a panel or bezel of a housing or device. EMI containment around the cage at the front end requires a good connection between the cage and the bezel.
Conventional connector assemblies utilize an EMI gasket or a stamped and formed clip coupled to the front end that has spring fingers configured to engage the bezel. One advantage to using the EMI gasket is that the EMI gasket provides a behind-the-panel connection which is desirable because the connection remains out of sight and protected by the bezel. However, the EMI gaskets may be expensive. Additionally, the EMI gaskets only operate under very specific compression ranges requiring tight mechanical constraints for cage positioning relative to the bezel. The advantage of the EMI clip is that the EMI clips are less expensive to manufacture than the EMI gaskets and have a wider tolerance for connection to the bezel. However, the clips must be assembled to the front end of the cage, which requires an assembly step. The spring fingers of the EMI clips must be aligned with the interior surface of the opening and the cage must protrude through the opening in the bezel in order for the springs fingers to make contact with the bezel. The spring fingers only make contact to a thin surface of the bezel that is the thickness of the bezel.
A need remains for an EMI containment solution between a cage and a bezel that is cost effective and reliable.